Low maintenance livestock watering system

ABSTRACT

A livestock watering system, designed with the user in mind, is disclosed. The present invention is comprised of an insulated removable water reservoir whereby said reservoir provides easy access to all parts of the invention. This facilitates the ease of cleaning and maintenance. Moreover, this insulated design is heated by a heating element that heats the air below the removable reservoir, to prevent freezing. The reservoir automatically refills by the use of a water level control device. Said reservoir is easily drained by pulling a plug, through which a stainless steel eyebolt has been placed. Most every part is attached with wing nuts and bolts so that no tools are needed to replace or service individual components of the invention. Furthermore, most all parts are preferably made of plastic or stainless steel to prevent rust and corrosion. In addition, practically all parts may be removed, to be serviced or replaced without the use of tools. The main objective of this design is to promote the ease of use and maintenance.

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/237,345, Hube Johnston &Mindy M. Cook, filed Sep. 29, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to a livestock watering device andspecifically to a low maintenance, durable device for the watering oflivestock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Farms today are run and owned by a wide variety of people havinga broad range of available time and fanning experience. When designing adevice to be regularly used and serviced on a farm, it is desirable tohave something that is easy to take care of and durable.

[0004] It would not be convenient to have to carry buckets of water outto fill the drinking reservoirs and it certainly would be desirable tobe able to take only the reservoir away from the system to clean it,instead of having to transport the entire apparatus. By employing anautomatic watering device, the user hopes to relieve some of the burdenthat accompanies everyday tasks on a farm. Therefore, when wateringanimals in a pasture it is desirable to have a device that is automatic,durable and easy to service.

[0005] The concept of having an automatically refilling watering deviceis well known in the art. Various methods and devices have been employedto accomplish this goal. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,445,issued to Terry et al, on Jul. 17, 1962. However, the water levelcontrol mechanisms of the devices that have been previously developedeither protrude into the trough area, taking away from the volume ofavailable drinking water, or are permanently affixed to the device whichthey service.

[0006] Allowing the water level control device to protrude into thetrough takes away from the amount of area that provides actual drinkingwater to the animals. Also, allowing the water level control valve toprotrude from the reservoir presents an opportunity for damage to thevalve by the animals.

[0007] By utilizing a built-in recessed sump, the present inventionprotects the valve from damage by eliminating the possibility of ananimal accidentally hitting it with a hoof. Furthermore, by recessingthe sump, it does not detract from the area which is to be used to holdthe water.

[0008] Moreover, a permanently affixed water level control device can becostly to replace. By using a valve that is attached by the use of athread system comparable to that found on a garden hose, the valve canbe removed without tools and easily replaced.

[0009] It is also common to have a heated and/or insulated water supplyto keep the water from freezing in the winter. For example, some of theprior art uses gas burners which are placed under the water reservoir.Other art utilizes hot gas that is bubbled through the water supply. Thepresent invention uses a heating element that is powered by anelectrical outlet and is separated entirely from the water reservoir. Byseparating the heating element, the chance of electric shock to theanimals and the farmers is greatly diminished. Furthermore, the heatingelement, which can easily be removed, results in much lower maintenance.

[0010] It is not common in the prior art to utilize a removable waterreservoir. Such a reservoir makes cleaning and maintenance simple. Thepresent invention utilizes a durable plastic water reservoir that can beremoved without the use of tools. By using plastic, the reservoirbecomes lighter and more sanitary. By removing the easily carriedreservoir, the present system can be easily serviced.

[0011] In general, the prior art devices are generally hard to clean andhard to take apart and service. This is especially true when there aretwo or more chambers that hold water and when the heating element isinside the water chamber. Moreover, because of metal and/or concreteconstruction, prior art devices are frequently heavy and cumbersome.This makes cleaning a difficult task. Furthermore, if a part needs to bechanged the entire unit would have to be taken apart and maybe eventaken off of the premises.

[0012] In view of the foregoing limitations and shortcomings of theprior art, as well as other disadvantages not specifically listed above,it should be apparent that there exists a need for a livestock wateringsystem that is durable, yet easy to utilize, maintain and clean.

[0013] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention toprovide a watering system for livestock that is easy to use, clean,service and that is durable.

[0014] It is a further object of this device to provide a livestockwatering system that automatically controls the level of water containedwithin and is designed to resist the wear and tear of normal tomoderately heavy usage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Briefly described, these and other objects are accomplishedaccording to the present invention by providing a livestock wateringsystem having a removable water reservoir that is insulated and heated.The water reservoir is constructed so that it has a built-in sump thathouses a water level control device and a drain, which are therebyprotected from damage that may be caused by animal hooves. The waterlevel control device is coupled to one end of a coil water hose. Theother end of the coil water hose is coupled to a water shut-off valve.The water shut-off valve is coupled to a water supply.

[0016] The water reservoir is surrounded by an insulated casing whichmay be buried (wholly or partially) in the ground for stability. Betweenthe water reservoir and the ground there exists a heating element thatheats the air below the water, thereby preventing the water fromfreezing in the winter.

[0017] All parts are easily accessed by simply lifting and removing thewater reservoir from the outside casing, and all parts can be changedwithout the aid of tools.

[0018] Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present inventionrelates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment inthe appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]FIG. 1 is an outside view of the device reflecting both the innerremovable water reservoir and the insulated casing.

[0020]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention showing thebottom of the removable water reservoir.

[0021]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the present invention (takenvertically through FIG. 1) showing the construction and inner workingsof the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1the device of the present invention. The device is comprised of aremovable water reservoir (4) and an insulated casing (8). The casing(8) provides support for the water reservoir and a protective casing forthe mechanics of the device. The water reservoir fits within the casing.The water reservoir has a lip (15) around its circumference which restson the top of the casing (9). As shown in FIG. 3, the casing containsheavy pour in Styrofoam insulation which helps keep water from freezingin the winter and keeps the water relatively cool in the summer. Thecasing can be made from any strong, weather resistant insulatingmaterial. This casing is buried, at least partially, in the ground inorder to provide stability for the device. As shown in FIG. 3, the upperlip (15) of the water reservoir naturally rests on the top edge (9) ofthe outside casing. Between the bottom of the water reservoir and theground is enough room to house the inner workings of the invention.

[0023] The casing (8) may be buried at various depths depending on theneeds of the user. The casing (8) is preferably constructed of, but notlimited to plastic, in order to prevent corrosion and to increase theuseful life of the invention.

[0024] The water reservoir (4) is constructed with a built-in, recessedsump (6), which houses both the water level control device (10) and thedrain (16). The recessed sump (6) protects the water level controldevice (10) and the drain (16) from inadvertent damage from animalhooves.

[0025] The drain (16) is preferably made of rubber with a stainlesssteel eye-hook (16 a) through the center of the drain. In this manner,the drain may be pulled using a long rod which grabs the top of the eyehook in the drain below. The water then drains onto 2-3 feet of rock andsoil below the device, and is naturally dissipated into the soil.

[0026] The water level control device (10) can either be a traditionalfloat valve, or preferably, a pressure sensitive valve which adjusts thewater level by sensing the pressure per square inch of the water presentin the water reservoir. This device (10) can be easily changed byscrewing it in and out, utilizing a thread system much like that of agarden hose. These valves are preferably made of, but not limited to,plastic. Like most other parts in the invention, the valves are usedwith the intent to prevent rust or corrosion and increase the durabilityof the device.

[0027] Beneath the water reservoir, the water level control device isattached to a coil water hose (14) by using a coupler (10 a) whichslides on and off easily. The water hose may be of any length sufficientto supply water from a water supply, for example a water main, to thewater reservoir.

[0028] The opposite end of the coil water hose (14) is connected to ashut-off valve (12) using a second coupler (12 a). Shut-off valve (12)is preferably constructed of, but not limited to, a brass valve with astainless steel ball, providing durability and quality of construction.

[0029] Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. 3, the shut-off valve (12) ismounted onto the inner surface (22) of the outside casing. This part isnot easily removed, as there is no need to do so.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, a heating element (18) (for example, a 500watt resistance heating element) is mounted on the inside surface of thecasing (22) using in a conventional method, for example by wing nuts andstainless steel bolts. By using wing nuts the heating element (18) maybe easily removed and serviced or replaced without the employ of tools.

[0031] Atop the heating element (18) sits an adjustable thermostat (20).The thermostat adjusts the temperature of the air below the waterreservoir depending on the needs of the user. The air is heated, insteadof directly heating the water, so that there is not the danger ofelectrocution that comes from placing the heating element in the waterreservoir.

[0032] The heating element is then plugged into a multi-purposeelectrical outlet (24) which is also affixed to the inside surface ofthe casing (22), for example, with wing nuts and bolts. This outlet maybe used for additional purposes, as it is easily accessed by lifting thewater reservoir. Both the heating element and the electrical outlet arewater resistant and are grounded.

[0033] The invention is serviced by running both electrical and waterlines underneath the ground and up to the shut-off valve and theelectrical outlet. In this manner both lines may be controlled fromremote locations without having to go into the field. Also, by buryingthese lines they are protected from the weather and from animals orother machinery that might be traveling over the ground.

I claim:
 1. A livestock watering system, comprising: a) a removablecircular water reservoir, having a circumferential lip and a built-inrecessed sump; b) an insulated, circular casing having a top edge and aninside surface; and c) wherein said water reservoir rests within saidcasing, by resting the circumferential lip of the water reservoir on thetop edge of the casing.
 2. The livestock watering system of claim 1further comprising: means, located in said sump, for controlling thelevel of water in the water reservoir; means, located in said sump, fordraining the water from said water reservoir; and means for providingwater to said reservoir.
 3. The livestock watering system of claim 1wherein: said water reservoir and said casing are constructed such thatwhen said water reservoir is placed within said casing a void spaceexists beneath said water reservoir.
 4. The livestock watering system ofclaim 3 further comprising: a means for heating the air in the voidspace within the casing beneath the water reservoir.
 5. The livestockwatering system of claim 4 wherein: a) said sump has a bottom with afirst opening and a second opening; b) a water level control device isattached to the first opening of said bottom of said sump; c) watershut-off valve is attached to the inside surface of said casing; d) acoil hose water line provides fluid communication between said watershut-off valve and said water level control device; e) a water supply iscoupled to said water shut-off valve; f) a removable plug is positionedin said second opening in said bottom of said sump; g) a removableheating element with adjustable thermostat is attached to said insidesurface of said casing; and h) a multi-purpose electrical outlet isconnected to inside of said wall and is connected to said heatingelement.
 6. A livestock watering system, comprising: a) a removablecircular water reservoir, having a circumferential lip and a built-inrecessed sump where said sump has a bottom with a first opening and asecond opening; b) an insulated, circular casing having a top edge andan inside surface; c) wherein said water reservoir rests within saidcasing, by resting the circumferential lip of the water reservoir on thetop edge of the casing, and where said water reservoir and casing areconstructed such that when said water reservoir is placed within saidcasing a void space exists beneath said water reservoir; d) a waterlevel control device; wherein said water level control device isattached to the first opening of said bottom of said sump; a watershut-off valve; wherein said water shut-off valve is attached to theinside surface of said casing; e) a coil hose water line; where saidcoil hose water line provides fluid communication between said watershut-off valve and said water level control device; f) a water supply;wherein said water supply is coupled to said water shut-off valve; g) aremovable plug; wherein said removable plug is positioned in said secondopening in said bottom of said sump; h) a removable heating element withadjustable thermostat; wherein said heating element is attached to saidinside surface of said casing; and i) a multi-purpose electrical outlet;wherein said multi-purpose electrical outlet is connected to inside ofsaid wall and is connected to said heating element.